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6 months ago in Space Law By Natasha

Could a company just… claim a asteroid under old colonial law?

Hypothetical: a mining corporation lands on an asteroid, plants a flag, and invokes terra nullius—the legal doctrine of unclaimed land. Would that hold up?

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By Veena Answered 1 month ago

Zero chance. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty is explicit: no national appropriation of celestial bodies by any means. And since corporations operate under the jurisdiction of signatory states, they inherit that prohibition. Terra nullius is a relic of colonial law, not a loophole in space. You can't claim it, own it, or sovereignty over it. You can use it but you can't conquer it.

 

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